The University of Chicago Aikido Kokikai dojo was founded by Winston Ou Sensei in 1991 when he arrived as a math graduate student. Before coming to the University of Chicago, he had trained under Karen Elder Sensei and Gary Snyder Sensei at the Princeton University dojo.

Winston Sensei left the University of Chicago in the spring of 2001. Ashwin Tirodkar Sensei replaced him as the head of the dojo. A year later, Ashwin Sensei left Chicago and Lou Ibarra Sensei who had recently moved to Chicago from Victoria became the head of the dojo.

In summer of 2005, Lou Ibarra Sensei started a dojo in the South Loop area, Kokikai Chicago, the first public Kokikai dojo in Chicago.

Currently, Brad Dominy Sensei and Mary Kimura Sensei are the instructors of the dojo. They began their training under Winston Ou Sensei and have been members of the University of Chicago dojo for over ten years.